People from abroad who really mean well for Greece and the Greeks use the paradigm of “illness and cure” to symbolize our situation. In the sense of this paradigm Greece suffers from a serious disease and needs to undergo the painful process of an operation in order to get well again. Paradigms have an effect on us because we can identify ourselves with their basic idea. And indeed this one works on me very impressively: I imagine myself lying in bed, semi-conscious, while around me nurses and doctors consult on my condition and my prognosis:
- My, my! look at his blood pressure.
- We need to check his kidneys condition. There are findings which worry me.
- What do you expect from a man who kept smoking and drinking and working all his life?
- Never the less, even if we secure him six more months’ life it’s a great gift for him.
People in white robes by definition do things for our good. But those in my symbolic rescue recreation do not count optimism as something worth preserving and protecting. It’s very painful and it’s very confusing. Why is it painful? Well, for one, because those trying to help us with ideas are numerous, wise and influential. The media listen to them and report on their views. Other media report on what those media have reported. People report on what media have reported on what other media have reported on what informed people have said. We all ten millions on our sick-beds are being cured while listening at the same time with deafening intensity that we will go bust either in an orderly manner or in a disorderly one. Optimism is a relatively new word in both Greek and western European vocabulary. Its meaning in both languages has important differences. In Latin origin languages it implies belief that the best will prevail. The etymology of the Greek word (αισιοδοξία) orients us to the meaning “belief that things will evolve according to what we wish” or perhaps in certain cases “according to what fate has in stock for us”. Whatever the exact meaning may be, take this spark away and the system is tragically grounded. In essence we live because we believe. And believing permits us to take command of our tomorrow to the extent of course that humans can influence their tomorrows.
So thanks for caring guys. But please curb your enthusiasm and allow us to rescue our optimism. It served us well for three thousand years. It will get us through again this time. We are thankful for the support of the international community, the 21rst of July resolutions and all the subsequent initiatives. It is not only understandable that all that is given under strict conditions. It is also wishful. Greeks had their share of impulsive actions in their long history. But they kept their dignity and their composure under terror and owe and always bounced back. As long as we keep our most precious- our optimism!
Greece goes bust; Greece will return to the drachma; Greece is bound to resign from the EU till things balance out in the Euro zone; 15 state members in the euro zone secretly agreed to expel Greece; Germany will return to the mark and Italy to the lira.
A New York ceremonial courtroom was graciously provided for an ancient Athens court session to take place with a 2.410 years’ time lap. On the 12th of May 2011 the ancient philosopher Socrates was retried and this time acquitted.
Greek film director and producer Nicos Koundouros gives us the chronologically first account of Thanassis Vengos: they both were exiled on the island of Makronissos after the end of the Greek civil war in 1949.
In January of this year Harris Ikonomopoulos, President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Faye Leoussi, of Leoussis Advertising had a meeting with a double agenda
Greeks are notorious for laying great emphasis on family ties. “My big Greek fat wedding” gives a humorous first impression of what we are talking about
Zagori is an area of great natural beauty and unique architecture in the Pindus Mountains in Epirus in Northwestern Greece. The area is of about 1.000 square kilometers and contains 46 villages. Zagoria villages is called by Greeks “Zagorochoria” meaning the villages behind the mountain.
Read more...
In 1989, Professor of Byzantine Studies, Helen Ahrweiler is appointed Chairman of the Cultural Centre Pompidou in Paris